


we'll never be apart

by Magebirdy



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Muteness, featuring friendship romance and all of those good themes about destiny/fate, in which Riku's nobody decides to search for him, plus riku's nobody being as edgy as he is
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-17
Updated: 2019-04-18
Packaged: 2020-01-15 16:25:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18502660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Magebirdy/pseuds/Magebirdy
Summary: Seventeen years are gone in a single moment, forgotten and lost to the sands of time. Kirux has to relearn everything: how to walk, how to act, and how to sign. He knows that his life is not normal, but he accepts that his sudden, unexplained bout of amnesia is at fault.But then monsters appear in his picturesque town, and an attack on his sister leads to the discovery that he can summon a mythical weapon. The narrative he concocted for himself crumbles; he's nothing like the family that adopted him. He's a Nobody, the remnants of a person whose heart has been lost to the darkness. And though he could try to hide away in his old life forever, his future - and his heart - call to him.If he wants to truly feel whole, he has to find the one who created him.But finding Riku is easier said than done.





	1. Chapter 0.5

A cold gust of air blew threw the abandoned street. The street's sole occupant – a man who no one could quite put an age to – pulled his ratty old coat closer to him. There was little emotion to the green eyes that threatened to close as he pressed his back up against the brick wall. Fear, joy, sadness – he knew nothing of them. All he knew of was the chill that seeped in through his thin clothing, raising goosebumps on pale skin. It had been several days since he had last eaten, but he couldn't remember anything from before that point.  


“Hello,” a voice said from below.  


He looked down.  


A young girl stood at his feet. Black curls cascaded down her back as she stared at him with inquisitive violet eyes, the moonlight dancing on her blue sundress. “My mom says not to talk to strangers, but you look lonely.”  


His gaze remained solely on her lips. As they opened, closed, and assumed different shapes, he attempted to mirror them on his own lips. But no words left him as he tried to copy her; it was a pale imitation of what she had said at best.  


She tilted her head to the side. A strand of hair fell in front of her face, but she didn't bother to move it. The student had become the subject – he was the one being investigated with a curiosity he had been unable to convey.  


“Can you speak?” she asked. Her voice cut through the quiet of the street.  


He stared blankly at her.  


"You can't, can you?”  


There was a long pause, but then he gave her a slow nod. Though the words being exchanged between the two of them still made little sense to him, he understood that she was asking about the voice he didn't have. The man shifted. Pushing off of the brick wall and straightening to his full height, he easily towered over her. But she seemed unfazed as she grabbed onto his wrist and started to lead him down the alleyway they had been standing in only moments before.  


“You need to meet my mom,” she says. “She'll know how to help.”  


He cocked his head, perfectly copying what she had just been doing.  


“She works with people like you,” the girl added, turning back and giving him a smile over her shoulder. He felt an unfamiliar feeling settle in his chest. Unsure how to describe it, he returned it with a smile of his own – a soft, gentle look that made her pause as they neared the end of the alleyway.  


“Do you have a name?” she asked. “Mine's Winnie. It's short for Winifred, but no one ever calls me that. Except if I'm in trouble, which I probably will be in when Mom realizes I snuck out again.”  


The words, for the most part, meant just as little as everything else she had said. But he understood the idea of names, and understood that even he possessed one. It would just take a little work before he figured out how to convey that knowledge.  


He repeated her name, silence leaving his lips as he pointed at her.  


“Yup,” she said. “Winnie. So do you have a name?”  


He thought for a moment, then shook his head.  


“Well, that won't do,” she told him. She let go of his wrist and rested her hands on her hips. “ _Everyone_ has a name. You just haven't been given one yet, and haven't figured out what's right for you-”  


Her eyes suddenly widened.  


With a snap of her fingers, she declared, “I'll give you a name!”  


He tilted his head a little further.  
“You need one, and I'm the perfect person to give it,” she decided. She gave him a toothy grin. “I keep a collection of them, 'cause I'm a writer and it's hard coming up with new ones. How does...Ouranos sound?”  


He frowned.  


“Yeah, I wasn't really feeling that one,” she admitted, sheepishly rubbing the back of her neck. He observed her for a moment, then copied the movement by rubbing the back of his own neck. The gesture made her grin even more. “You're a funny guy, Aenon.”  


His frown deepened. Unsure how to convey the strange sensation rising from the depths of his heart, he crossed his arms and stared down at her again. It seemed to serve it purposes – her grin faded, and she shook her head.  


“Aenon's a no, then – I thought slipping it in might make you like it better.”  


He gave a small nod, though he didn't fully understand why she believed that. Her smile began to return; something told him that she had thought of another name, though he was beginning to doubt she would come up with one that ever felt right.  


“What about Kirux? How does that one sound to you?”  


The corners of his lips began to turn up as the tight feeling in his chest loosened. She began to grin as well, and a bright, happy sound broke shattered the silence in a single instant as innocent laughter left her. The sound was unlike anything he had ever heard before. Enchanted by the beautiful sound, he found he was unable to look away from her.  


“Third time's the charm,” she said in between her laughter. “I don't know why, but Kirux really fits. And, hey! It sounds good with my name, too. Kirux and Winnie – it's like we were meant to be friends.”  


“Friends,” he mouthed, tilting his head again.  


“Yes, friends!” she confirmed. “...Do you not know what a friend is?”  


He gave a small nod.  


She crossed her arms. “A friend is...well, I think a friend's supposed to be someone you care about a lot. Kind of like your family, but you get to pick your friends instead. Like my dad's my family, but my mom's my friend, since she's someone I really care about. And even though we've only just met, I think I care a lot about you. That's why I'm bringing you to see my mom.”  


Friends. A word that felt important. It should have held value to him, and, just for a moment, he thought he could imagine the silhouette of someone he might have called a friend. But the image faded as swiftly as it appeared, and he was left wondering who that figure could have been.  


After a moment of hesitation passed, he raised a hand and pointed at her. He mouthed the word “friends” once more, then gave his chest a somewhat tentative pat. Winnie was his friend. Though no words were spoken to convey this message, the meaning behind it was easily translated. She gave him another big grin before beginning to run down the empty street, childish laughter filling the air as they raced off into the moonlit world beyond the confines of the city.


	2. Chapter 1

The man stared up at the clock tower before him, his not-quite-silver hair illuminated by the light of the sunset. He readjusted the pack on his back as he struggled to determine a clear path to the top. He could see the outlines of four figures – two large and two small – sitting on the very edge, their legs dangling over the side. But squinting with the eye that wasn't covered by an eye patch did little to help his predicament. He frowned underneath the black cloth covering the lower half of his face. 

He glanced behind him. His guide – a girl who had to have been the same age as Winnie – had disappeared into the depths of the town to be reunited with her two friends. It was unfortunate. She had been the only one who understood; he wasn't sure whoever was on the tower would. Reaching into his pocket as he continued to watch the four atop the tower, he ran his fingers over the familiar metal of Winnie's necklace. He had made a promise to her, and he intended to keep it. 

He took a deep breath and briefly closed his eyes. 

He called to the darkness within him. The feeling surged in his chest, threatening to overtake him. But then the feeling dulled, and he raised his head to look at the darkness had appeared before him. A small smile danced on his lips as he began to step through. That, at least, hadn't failed him. He willed the darkness to appear in a corner of the clock tower. Not too far away from the group, but also not too close. 

It was disorientating to appear beside the clock, but he was beginning to grow used to the sensation. It helped if he closed his eyes while stepping through; the transition was never as jarring. 

**-**

__

_“Whoa!” Winnie said, violet eyes wide. He ducked his head down and took a step back. He had been able to making the darkness appear for the past month, but had been too afraid to show it to her or their mom. He knew it wasn't normal, and he knew that it would only ruin their views of him._

_But then he felt Winnie slipping her hand into his._

_“This is so cool,” she said, grinning at him. “What does it do?”_

_He stared at her. She liked it? She wasn't supposed to like it. She was supposed to hate it, just like she was supposed to hate him. He hurriedly tried to shake the thought away, but it refused to be banished. He had been having a lot of thoughts like that lately – thoughts he knew he could never share._

_“Brings to places,” he signed. He hesitated, unsure of how to sign the next word. He hadn't been taught it yet, but he had seen it in the books he had been reading. He settled for spelling it out instead. “P-O-R-T-A-L.”_

_She gaped at him. “And it can bring you anywhere?”_

_A nod._

_“Kirux, you're amazing!”_

**-**

Winnie had always said that he was the best at sneaking around. Based on their individual track records, he was inclined to agree. But he must not have been as quiet as he had thought. The moment he opened his eyes, he found multiple weapons pointed at him. Their blades glinted in the light of the dying sun, light reflecting off of them and dancing on the walls of the clock. 

He took a step back, but it was too late. 

The portal had already disappeared. 

The apparent leader of the group stepped forward – a tall man with wild red hair. He felt a twinge of déjà vu; it was a familiar feeling, but he rarely felt that way about other people. Kirux's gaze nervously darted from each of the people present. Winnie had always said to stay wary in dangerous situations. It was impossible to know what was going to happen next. But when he looked at the others present, two out of the remaining three made his heart skip a beat. Their hair felt wrong, but those faces were undeniably familiar. The girl looked like _her_ , and the boy looked like _him_ , but he didn't even know who _her_ and _him_ were. 

“Who are you?” the red-haired man demanded. 

He shook his head. 

“I think we have the upper hand right now,” the blue-haired man beside him said, giving Kirux a smile that made a chill run up his spine. Whether it was him or his missing memories telling him that he was dangerous, he wasn't sure. But it only made him shake his head more desperately, and take a step dangerously close to the edge. “You'll want to-” 

“I know you,” the sole girl in the group said. The weapons were lowered, and she took a step towards him. He was uncomfortably taller than her; his shadow was easily cast over her small figure, but she didn't seem to mind. 

“Xion, what are you talking about?” the other youngest member of the group asked, turning to the one who had just spoken. 

“Doesn't he feel...familiar?” she said. 

The boy studied him for a moment. Kirux wasn't sure how he hadn't noticed it before, but there was a little bit of something blue on his lip. The sight made a silent laugh leave him – it just look really funny on his face! But then he faltered when the boy just continued staring, and he quickly lapsed back into stillness. 

“Hey,” the red-haired man said, poking him with a popsicle stick. “Are you mute or something?” 

He nodded. 

Looks were exchanged in the group. 

“Anyone here know sign language?” the man asked. He was met by blank looks. With a sigh, the man turned back to him. This was shortly followed by the strange weapons disappearing from all of their hands, in a way that looked very familiar. A jolt of excitement rose from the depths of his heart; the designs had been different, but he had seen that type of weapon before! He could imagine it in his own hands now- 

His own suddenly appeared in his hand. 

The group grew tense once more, but the tension immediately disappeared from their face when he held the weapon out to them. He tilted his head ever so slightly to the side, trying to convey his confusion on what it was. Another look was exchanged, though this time it was between the two adults present. The one earlier had been because they didn't trust him, he was sure. This one was different. It was softer, and the tone they spoke with afterwards felt much warmer. “How old are you?” the blue-haired man gently asked. 

He placed the weapon down on the ground and thought for a moment, eventually decided to hold up his fingers to show his approximate age. First he held up both hands, none of the fingers down. Then he put the last three on his right hand down. He kept it like that for a few more moments before retrieving the weapon from the ground. 

“Not your old age,” the red-haired man said. “Your new one.” 

He tilted his head to the side again. 

“Since you fell to darkness,” he elaborated. 

Kirux frowned. 

“You...You don't remember?” 

He hesitantly nodded. Kirux followed then followed the man's gaze to the boy and the girl a short distance away. Since he wasn't making eye contact with the other adult, he was guessing that the two were more knowledgeable on whatever this “fall to darkness” was. 

“But you have a Keyblade,” the red-haired man said, “so you must have been someone important.” 

He looked down at the weapon in his hands. If he squinted at it long enough, it looked like it did have the very vague shape of a key. Now certain that the name of his weapon was a Keyblade, he let his attention return to the group atop the clock tower. 

“Do you know what you are?” the boy asked. 

He stared blankly at him. 

“You're something called a Nobody,” the blue-haired man informed him. He frowned underneath his mask. He didn't like the sound of that word in the slightest, and didn't like the feeling that it left him with even when it had faded from the man's lips. “There was once a person who fell into the darkness, and their demise led to the creation of you – a person with no heart.” 

Kirux frantically glanced down at his chest and rested his hand on it. 

“Not that kind of heart,” the man said, a small smile on his lips. “It's a different type of heart.” 

“Have you ever fought any Heartless?” the red-haired man asked. 

He was unable to give an answer. He felt like he should have known what Heartless were, but the memory simply wasn't coming to him. When he was silent for so long, the man seemed to decide it was best to keep talking. 

“Heartless are little guys,” he said. “They're pretty harmless if you have a Keyblade, but a pain in the ass if you don't. They're the hearts of those who have fallen into darkness. If you've ever fought them, you would know. They release the hearts when you beat them with a Keyblade.” 

**-**

_Pain danced through his eye like wildfire, and the bloody hands holding onto the hilt of the strange weapon that had appeared shook as another one of the monsters lunged at him. A quick glance back, and he could see Winnie's unmoving body getting surrounded by more of the monsters. He pushed through them, wildly swinging his weapon about as he tried to reach her-_

**-**

He nodded. 

He had seen them before. 

“Well, you've seen that kind of heart,” the red-haired man said. “You're a Nobody. Nobodies don't get to have hearts like that – it's just the way the world works, I suppose. Most Nobodies remember their past lives, but there has been a few exceptions before. If you don't remember, that would mean your heart is still alive somewhere. Whoever he is, he's keeping your memories.” 

His eyes widened. 

He was only just beginning to understand what the man was talking about, but he could see the implications of the last bit. If he found his heart, he would find his past. Winnie had wanted him to do that, back during their last moments together. A smile appeared underneath his mask again, though this was much more solemn than the previous ones. He could fulfill his promise. 

The darkness burst to life behind him as the Keyblade disappeared back into nothingness. It was his time to go. Though he didn't have a clear path ahead of him, he knew where he had to head—it was just going to take a little time to get there. He turned his back to the four. Even though they didn't know sign language, he signed a quick word of gratitude and gave them a wave- 

-only to find two hands grabbing onto the sleeve of his long, black coat. He turned to see that the boy and the girl – Xion? – were both trying to stop him. He stopped, the darkness swirling about behind him as he tried to figure out why they had suddenly grabbed him. 

“I don't know why,” Xion said, “but I really don't want you to go.” 

The boy nodded in agreement. “Can you stay with us for a little bit? We've already eaten our ice cream, but maybe we could get more-” 

He shook his head. 

He felt scared and almost _guilty_ at the thought of being around the two for any longer. He didn't know why he felt that way; maybe his heart did. But it was enough to get him to shake their hands off of his own, and enough for him to go running into the darkness before they could give him a look that far too easily broke his heart.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there! This is my first attempt at a KH fic, so I'm just as curious as you are about how this fic will end. <3 
> 
> Kirux was born from a brainstorming with one of my best friends, and I'd just like to thank her for helping me figure out the little details of KH that would make his story fit into the canon better. Both him and his story still need a lot of polishing, but I'm hoping to figure out all of those details as I continue to write this story.
> 
> It's set after the events of KH3, so please be wary of any spoilers that might come up in future chapters!
> 
> Thanks for reading through this little author's note~


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